Sasuke has shown that by forcingmore chakra from the [[Cursed Seal of Heaven]], he can use an additional Chidori after reaching his daily limit. Due to the influence exhibited by the cursed seal, this additional Chidori is stronger than the standard version of it while essentially being the same technique, despite its new name of {{translation|'''Flapping Chidori'''|羽撃く千鳥|Habataku Chidori|lit meaning=Flapping One Thousand Birds|engtv=Black Chidori}}. This version of the Chidori gives off a black glow along with the sound of flapping wings in flight, instead of the standard blue glow and chirping noise.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 232, pages 11-13</ref> Sasuke has not used this technique since he lost his [[Cursed Seal of Heaven]] during his battle with Itachi. It is presumed that he cannot use the Flapping Chidori after losing the Cursed Seal, due to the lack of its influence on the regular Chidori. In the first ''Ultimate Ninja Storm'' games, it is referred to as "Chidori Lament".

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Sasuke has shown that by usingthe [[senjutsu]] chakra from the [[Cursed Seal of Heaven]], he can use an additional Chidori after reaching his daily limit. Due to the influence exhibited by the cursed seal, this additional Chidori is stronger than the standard version of it while essentially being the same technique, despite its new name of {{translation|'''Flapping Chidori'''|羽撃く千鳥|Habataku Chidori|lit meaning=Flapping One Thousand Birds|engtv=Black Chidori}}. This version of the Chidori gives off a black glow along with the sound of flapping wings in flight, instead of the standard blue glow and chirping noise.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 232, pages 11-13</ref> Sasuke has not used this technique since he lost his [[Cursed Seal of Heaven]] during his battle with Itachi. It is presumed that he cannot use the Flapping Chidori after losing the Cursed Seal, due to the lack of its influence on the regular Chidori. In the first ''Ultimate Ninja Storm'' games, it is referred to as "Chidori Lament".

Contents

Description and Effect

This technique channels a large amount of lightningchakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name.[4] Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces.[4]

As shown against Killer B, Chidori can also be used to simply give the opponent a large electrical shock without impaling them.[5]

Drawbacks

This technique has a major drawback, however. The speed at which the attack must be done, combined with the fact that the user must run in a straight line, causes a tunnel vision-like effect for the user. This allows the enemy to easily counter the attack, making it a potentially lethal move for the user. Though this drawback would seem to make learning the technique fairly pointless, Sasuke and Kakashi are able to avoid the drawback because of their Sharingan, which takes in every detail, regardless of how fast the user is moving.[6]

As an additional drawback, the large amount of chakra required limits the number of times this technique can be performed per day. In Part I, Sasuke can only use it twice a day (under his own power)[7] and Kakashi can use it four times,[8] though their limits have been shown to have increased to an unspecified level in Part II. Should the user attempt to go beyond their limit, all of their chakra will be drained and their very life force could go along with it.[9]

An additional problem, though not necessarily a debilitating one, is the fact that the large amount of chakra can also injure the user's hand if they put too much force into the attack. In Part I, Sasuke does this when confronting his brother Itachi, causing some of the skin to peel from his hand and leaving it slightly smouldering after the attack was finished.[10]

Use and Improvement

Originally, when Kakashi invented the Chidori, he suffered the drawback of the technique being a straight-line attack, which prompted Minato Namikaze to tell him not to use it, as the risk is too dangerous, and the technique would be rendered useless as the targets could simply evade or easily counter it.[11] However, after acquiring the Sharingan from his friend, Obito Uchiha, Kakashi has eliminated the drawback, as he can predict the opponents' movements and aim at them much easier, making it rather difficult for the enemy to evade the attack.[12] Sometime after mastering the Chidori, Kakashi improved it into a far more powerful version, the Lightning Cutter, which he uses more often than the Chidori itself.[13] The Lightning Cutter is powerful enough to drive a hole through the chest of a person struck by it, as seen when Haku protected Zabuza from Kakashi.

Kakashi taught Sasuke the Chidori as a means to persuade him not to use the Cursed Seal of Heaven as well as to forfeit his desires for revenge. He also emphasised that the Chidori was a blade to protect his friends. Unfortunately for Kakashi and the others, Sasuke has warped it into a blade to sever those bonds in his desire for power and vengeance. In Part II, Sasuke has mastered the principles of lightning manipulation and developed a number of other Lightning Release techniques, most of which are derived from the Chidori. Sasuke can also transmit his Chidori through weapons as he does with both his sword and with his fūma shuriken.

Cursed Seal of Heaven's Influence

Sasuke preparing the Flapping Chidori.

Sasuke has shown that by using the senjutsu chakra from the Cursed Seal of Heaven, he can use an additional Chidori after reaching his daily limit. Due to the influence exhibited by the cursed seal, this additional Chidori is stronger than the standard version of it while essentially being the same technique, despite its new name of Flapping Chidori (羽撃く千鳥, Habataku Chidori, English TV: Black Chidori, Literally meaning: Flapping One Thousand Birds). This version of the Chidori gives off a black glow along with the sound of flapping wings in flight, instead of the standard blue glow and chirping noise.[14] Sasuke has not used this technique since he lost his Cursed Seal of Heaven during his battle with Itachi. It is presumed that he cannot use the Flapping Chidori after losing the Cursed Seal, due to the lack of its influence on the regular Chidori. In the first Ultimate Ninja Storm games, it is referred to as "Chidori Lament".

Trivia

The name Chidori comes from a story about famous samurai Tachibana Dōsetsu (立花道雪, Tachibana Dōsetsu) (22 April 1513–2 November 1585). Tachibana was in possession of a famous sword called Chidori (千鳥, Literally meaning: A Thousand Birds). One day, while he was still a young man, he was taking shelter under a tree, as it was raining. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck him. However, Tachibana used his Chidori to cut the Thunder God inside the lightning bolt, allowing him to survive. After this incident, he renamed his Chidori to Raikiri (雷切, Literally meaning: Lightning Cutter).

In the anime, Chidori looks like a white, sphere-shaped amount of electricity that emits small lights that surround the palm. In the manga, it has no form. It is just a coverage of electricity all over the hand. Later in the anime, the appearance of Sasuke's Chidori changes to resemble the one in the manga.